Lake Stevens assault suspect, victim remain in hospital

LAKE STEVENS -- A Lake Stevens-area man, 41, remains hospitalized from burns he suffered in late December when his pickup caught fire while he allegedly was fleeing from police after assaulting his neighbor.Both he and the victim, 71, were listed in satisfactory condition Monday at different hospitals.The assault was reported about 3:40 a.m. Dec. 29 in the 15300 block of 77th Street NE, between Lake Stevens and Granite Falls.The victim told police he'd gone outside after hearing loud bangs, Snohomish County sheriff's spokeswoman Shari Ireton said Monday.The victim said he saw the suspect outside and asked him what was going on. The suspect allegedly jumped a gate and punched him. The victim said he fell to the ground and then was kicked multiple times.The victim declined medical treatment at the scene, Ireton said. He later was admitted to a local hospital, where he remained Monday, hospital officials confirmed. It's not clear if the hospitalization was a result of the attack, according to police.At the scene that morning, a deputy attempted to approach the suspect, who was sitting in his truck nearby, Ireton said.The man reportedly backed the truck into a fence and then tried to drive off. The pickup caught fire for an unknown reason, Ireton said. The man got out and ran away, and the deputy gave chase.The man reportedly fought with the deputy until additional officers arrived and helped take him into custody, she said.He was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment of burns.It's not clear if the man will be booked into jail when he gets out of the hospital, Ireton said. "The incident is still under investigation," she said.Court records show the man pleaded guilty in July in another case where neighbors said he was harassing them. Deputies had been called to the neighborhood in February after the man reportedly threatened to shoot his neighbors.At least two neighbors at the time filed victim statements saying the man often was violent and out of control. They said they were scared for their families and property.The man was sentenced to 30 days in jail in that case.He has not been charged in the December incident.Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com

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